The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. Stepping down quietly to catch the first sweet breath of morning, he heard underneath the wooden staircase a long and dismal groan. At first he thought it must be fancy—an echo, as it were, of the gloomy scenes and hideous sounds of the night before. He listened. Again the groan, more agonising and loud than before, He hurried down, and peeping beneath the staircase saw a horrid sight, It was Quelf the dwarf. Doubled up, with his clothes torn, and his face . and hands bleeding and bruised, he looked a pitiable and hideous object. ‘“ What ails you ?” asked Haro! 1, “Tam dying,” said Quelf. “ Can't you walk ?”’ “No,” groaned tho treacherous imp, “no; good Harold, pray help me out. I am dying; let me die in peace.” Harold's generous instinets were at once roused, He crawled into the narrow space— regardless of the fact that, if Quelf were not really wounded, he could easily stab him and escape. Not being accustomed to treaehery himself he could not look for it always in others, So approaching Quelf, he proceeded to take him in his arms. On this occasion he was not wrong. Quelf was really desperately wounded, and as weak as a child. When he was brought out into the sunlight he was a pitiable and at the same time a horrible object to behold, A deep gash crossed his forehead, another seamed his cheek. Blood and dirt mingled on his features, on his torn hands, and on his clothes. “I will you indoors,” said Harold. “ Gently —so—do I hurt you ?”’ The dwarf looked up at him with an eager, spiteful glance. He was incapable of understanding such high- mindedness as that which actuated Harold. He understood his conduct far differently. He looked upon it as only a preparation for revenge. ‘‘He has some design on me,” such was his thought, as the Young Apprenticc raised him up in his arms as tenderly as he would have raised a baby. On the steps, just as they were entering the house, Harold, who up the ateep staircase staggered under the weight of his burden, came face to face with the armourer. He stopped, and gazed sternly at the dwarf. “What have you there?” he cried. “That misshaped wretch, Quelf! What ails him ?” “Tam dying,” groaned Quelf. “No such luck,” cried the giant armourer. “He seems very bad, sir,” said Harold. “I found him beneath the wooden staircase here, bleeding and so weak that he could not move.” “Well, well,” returned the armourer, “take him in now, since he is here, But when he is well he must go where he lists, I will have no traitors in »y house, Ah, grin as you may, you misshapen imp! I mean what I say to you. Come what may—weal or woc—when you are strong enough to go, go you shall!” Harold then passed up into Quelf’s room placed him on the bed, and ran off to fetch a doctor. In a week Quelf was able to move about once more, As soen as this congummation was achieved the armourer sent for him into the workshop alone, The dwarf came in with a kind of respectful grin upon his face. “Quelf,” said the armourer, sternly, leaning on his long-handled hammer, “you have been a traitor to me, and I wish to see you no more. You have it in your power to threaten me, | will see if you have it in your power to harm me.’ Peter Quelf grinned more ludicrously still now. “ Beware !|’’ he said, “ beware !” “You dare to warn me,” cried the giant, seizing him fiercely, “ you wretched imp of the devil! Could I not crush you now, treacherous wretch? Could I not with one blow of my hammer crush the life out of your miserable carcase, and then burn it into powder in my forge fire?” The dwarf shrunk away from him in terror. The glare in the armourer’s eyes and the clutch of his hands upon his hammer seemed truly to indicate that he meant there and then to carry out his threat. } “You would be punished for that,’ he said, with a leer of satisfaction. “No one would know it,” cried the armourer ; “beware how you irritate me.” ‘Yes; THEY would know it—THEY whom ou fear. They have a letter from me telling them that if ever I disappear at any time they are to fix the blame on yon.” “ Begone, villain |’? shouted Leslie, losing all patience with the grinning wretch. “ Begone, ere I kill you now, and bid them seek your charred body amid the ruins of Lord Raymend’s house. Begone, and do your worst, so that you never let me gaze upon your hideous face in. He advanced towards Quelf in such a threat- ening manner that the dwarf was fain to leap ack, and make his way as quickly as possible through the door. Having made his escape, he stopped still in the centre of the yard. _ “Money,” he cried, grinning savagely ; “give me money, or I will have you punished.” 1 armourer flung towards him a piece of Oo ‘‘ Take that,” he said ; “it is enough for you ; go to those who employ you in their vile trans- actions, Punishment, forsooth! Begone, cre I pitch you into the water.” The dwarf hastily picked up the money, and hurried away, muttering loud curses and threats, while the armourer, with a feeling of relief, re- turned to his work. CHAPTER XVII. WHICH 18 VERY SHORT, BUT CONTAINS A LOVE PASSAGE VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL. On the evening of Peter Quelf's abrupt dismissal from the house of the giant armovrer— whi -h GOVE OOO CO